Catholic Charities Family and Community Services’ Post

Data has driven SALT’s growth from the beginning 📊 We started with surveys. As we completed surveys with people experiencing homelessness it gave us clear directions. Before getting our first shower trailer, we found out half of the people we served were actively looking for work but didn’t have regular access to a shower. Some looking for work hadn’t showered in three months. Your support makes a difference! With shelters full, and housing programs full, our guests have no choice but to try to find a job while living outside. A shower not only meets a basic need but it gives them a fighting chance at finding a job. In turn it gives them greater hope, and a greater chance, at moving into housing! #endhomelessness #salt #saltoutreach #serviceandlovetogether #showers #shower #showersforthehomeless #showertrailer #datadriven #orlando #centralfl #unhoused #homelessness #unsheltered

Your home address is a privilege. Not just your home. The address itself. Have you ever thought about that? I definitely had not, until my eyes were opened wide at Unfaulted's volunteer training. Every day, I take simple things for granted that people who age out of foster care may not have. One of those things is a home address, because a number of them end up homeless. Lack of shelter is a major issue, but so is lack of an address. How do you apply for jobs? Where do you receive government documents? How do you open a bank account? That's just the tip of the iceberg. Have you ever thought about how much your family provided a support system during college? How much of what you learned about job hunting / college / life in general came from them? Even if it didn't come from them, what are the odds you were introduced to the person that taught you through your family? That doesn't even touch the unimaginable trauma these individuals endured before and inside the system. Share this post to raise awareness. Support Unfaulted and like-minded organizations who help people who age out of the system.

NYC has a triple crisis: the migrant crisis, homelessness crisis, and city government staffing crisis. Within all this difficulty, we may also have a partial solution. How might we help migrants in NYC and New Yorkers who are homeless fill vacant jobs in NYC’s government agencies? NYC’s migrant crisis Over the last year 100,000+ migrants (1/4 of them children) have arrived in NYC, most of them bussed here by the Texas Governor, and with no support from the federal government even though a state of emergency was declared in Fall 2023. They arrive at Port Authority bus terminal, many in the middle of the night, without proper clothing, no food, no water, and no idea what they'll do once they arrive. This past week during the city’s frigid temperatures and snowfall, some slept on the street, in the snow, under cardboard boxes. It's a tragedy that will cost between $10 — $12 billion over the next 3 years. NYC’s homelessness crisis The migrant crisis is doubling NYC’s existing homelessness crisis, which has been horrific for many years. NYC has over 100,000 people who are homeless. 1/3 of them are children. Many of them need medical support for mental health and addiction issues. It’s also true that many of them have fallen on hard times and need help to get back up on their feet. NYC’s government staffing crisis NYC is the country’s largest municipal employer and has a persistent labor shortage — a total of 23,000 vacancies (8% of roles) across all of our city’s agencies. We have people who need and want jobs. We have jobs that need to be filled. Yes, many will need training and re-skilling. No, this is not the one solution that will completely solve these challenges. However, given the dire state we’re in, isn’t it worth putting all options on the table for consideration? I know people will say many of the people who are migrants and who are homeless don't have proper work authorization. It would be against the law to allow them to work. Now consider this: they're entering the workforce in the underground economy where they are often exploited and where they don't pay taxes that could be used to help support them and grow the tax base. If the federal government won’t expedite work authorization, and they won’t help us manage this crisis, then we'll have to help ourselves by any creative ways necessary. If the federal government isn’t going to assist us, and the Texas governor’s actions are going to continue to go unchecked, then we have to take care of our city and the people here. Our city needs workers. We have people who want jobs. Our tax base needs support. To quote the late great Congressman John Lewis, we will have to make a way out of no way. None of this is simple nor easy. But we can't sit on the sidelines while these issues worsen every day. No one outside of NYC is going to help us. We need to help ourselves and help each other. It’s what New Yorkers do, especially in the face of disaster. It’s what we need to do now.

🌟 Transforming Lives Through Employment 🌟 At Arch Angel Initiatives, we are inspired by the incredible efforts of local organizations in providing employment opportunities for homeless individuals. This article from IOL highlights a remarkable initiative that is making a real difference in our community: https://lnkd.in/dibYfhGy Employment is a powerful tool for restoring dignity and creating pathways out of homelessness. By offering meaningful work, we can help individuals rebuild their lives, gain financial independence, and contribute positively to society. At Arch Angel Initiatives, we are committed to supporting such transformative efforts. Our diverse training programs and services, including security training, medical training, and firearm proficiency courses, are designed to equip individuals with the skills they need to secure stable employment. We believe in creating inclusive opportunities that empower everyone, regardless of their background. Together, let's continue to champion initiatives that provide hope and opportunity for those in need. Every step towards employment is a step towards a brighter future for all. #CommunitySupport #EmploymentOpportunities #Homelessness #ArchAngelInitiatives #TransformingLives #SkillsTraining #Empowerment ---

This is a great story discussing the deficiencies in training for police departments engaged in homeless outreach. A quote from the article: "But many homelessness advocates and researchers argue that police-led outreach teams don’t have the training needed to approach and talk to people experiencing homelessness in a way that will make them feel comfortable — and more likely to trust and accept help." The Proactive Alliance Homeless Outreach model directly addresses this need by training police to be a spoke in the wheel of a multidisciplinary approach. We teach police how to develop dynamic, trauma-informed, and empathy-based individual relationships with people experiencing homelessness, community service providers, and collateral municipal agencies. Learn more about the Proactive Alliance Homeless Outreach model here: https://lnkd.in/e2JrtP_S https://lnkd.in/e4x7Q8J2

#Homelessness: #Barriers #to #Obtaining #ID #and #Assistance #Provided #to #Help #Gain #Access US Government Accountability Office #February7 GAO-24-105435 "Having an ID is essential to taking certain steps to exit homelessness, such as gaining employment, securing housing, or accessing government benefits. The Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 and House Report 117-402, accompanying H.R. 8294, 117th Cong. (2022), include provisions for GAO to review issues related to ID barriers faced by individuals experiencing homelessness."

🚨 London's Rough Sleeping Crisis 🚨 The latest data reveals a distressing milestone: 4,389 individuals sleeping rough in London, the highest in a decade, with a significant increase in refugees facing homelessness. these statistics are not just numbers—they represent real people facing unimaginable hardships. The boroughs of Westminster, Camden, and Ealing are most affected, this is not just a city-wide issue but a national issue that demands immediate attention and action. The complexity of this crisis requires a multifaceted approach. We must: 1:Advocate for Policy Reform, 2: Support Integration Initiatives and 3:Foster Community Engagement, As we reflect on these figures, let's remember that behind each statistic is a story, a person who deserves dignity, support, and a place to call home. #Homelessness #RefugeeSupport #PolicyChange #CommunityAction #HumanRights https://lnkd.in/e35asHaU

Our programs at Safe Horizon strive tirelessly to meet the pressing needs of vulnerable young individuals, but we cannot do it alone. We need your support to continue our mission and expand our impact. I offer this anecdote to highlight the need for and importance of programs like ours. Unfortunately, this story is one of many. A few months ago, a young person newly arrived to this country, fleeing forced marriage and female circumcision, came to our program after being discharged to the street from her 30-day placement at a HERCC. She was provided with no information as to next steps or where to go. She spent a few nights on the street, trying to find a resource and safe place to stay. While on the street, this young person was attacked and assaulted. Through the support of our Drop In team, we were able to connect her to a bed. Unfortunately though, that bed was not available that same night, as we consistently face an increasingly limited number of youth beds available. Our DYCD-funded Drop-in Centers have been nothing short of extraordinary in their efforts to meet the growing needs of newly arrived youth and unaccompanied minors. Despite their remarkable dedication, our team has been operating without additional support. Therefore, we're here to say that we need at least a 30% increase for DYCD-funded Drop-in Center contracts. This additional funding will enable us to meet the basic needs of young people and ensure more appropriate staffing across all sites. Furthermore, our City underfunds our Runaway and Homeless Youth Residential Contracts, falling short of covering these essential programs' costs. We urge for an increase in funding to ensure that all current Crisis and Transitional Independent Living Program contracts are adjusted to adequately cover operational costs and provide a 10% increase for all residential agreements. We need youth-specific immigration legal services and immediate funding to support full-time, experienced lawyers who can provide crucial legal assistance. We need sustained funding for Housing Specialists and Peer Navigators, critical positions that significantly support youth transitioning out of homelessness. We need funding for 100 additional beds to expand our capacity to address the pervasive shortage of available beds for runaway and homeless youth. Youth need HOUSING, and we demand that the Administration implement CityFHEPS laws to provide CityFHEPS vouchers to youth experiencing homelessness without requiring them to first enter the Department of Homeless Services shelter system, which is unsafe for our clients. We are asking for very little funding today. $16.5 million is a drop in the bucket of New York City's budget. But this funding would be life changing and life saving. This investment will bring us closer to our shared goal of preventing and ending youth homelessness in New York City. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable young individuals.